Kohakutou 琥珀糖

Japanese summer jelly wagashi candy to celebrate Tanabata.

Kohakutou (琥珀糖) which literally translates into “amber sugar,”is a type of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet) that is made with sugar, water, and agar agar. Agar Agar is a seaweed-based gelatin which dates back to the Edo period when Tarozaemon Minoya, the creator of agar, first invented it. In an era when sugar was still a rare delicacy, it was considered a high-class candy. At that time the candy was given the name kingyokuto (金玉糖) or “golden sugar,” maybe due to the sugar value, or because it was died with grapefruit or orange at that time.

In the first year of the Edo period (1603-1868), the term kashi (菓子) was more commonly used to refer to fruit. The word wagashi was coined at the end of 1800s with the word Wa 和 meaning “Japanese”, and kashi 菓子 becomes gashi in compound words, so wagashi means “Japanese confectionery.

The combination of ingredients not only gives the candy its unique, crisp exterior shell while the interior of the candies are soft and jelly-like but unlike regular gelatin, agar agar is completely vegan and as long as you use unrefined sugar you can make a completely vegan traditional Japanese candy with a long history.

Japanese people love tea, and Japanese sweets are an important part of drinking tea.

Wagashi 和菓子 often relates to the seasons with summer jellies being a popular choice. Thanks to its refreshing appearance, the candy is often eaten as a summer treat.

Kohakutou is sometimes referred to as crystal candy due to them looking like little clear gems.

Making them allows for your creativity to run wild making any shape or colour you like.

Adding blue in the summer creates a feeling of refreshing water with subtle elegance.

Kohakutou can be pricey when bought in Japan due to its artisanal approach. However, it’s quite simple to create this delightful candy at home with just a few ingredients.

I decided to make star shaped Kohakutou sprinkled with gold leaf I brought back from a Kanazawa for Tanabata.

Tanabata 七夕 a summer festival which is one of Japan’s five traditional seasonal festivals, or gosekku. Tanabata is based on an old story which tells of the annual reunion of two lovers in the Milky Way. The characters in the story represent two stars, Vega and Altair, and so it is also referred to as the ‘Star Festival’.

Let’s make Tanabata Kohakutou

You will need:

x1 cup of unrefined sugar

x 1/2 cup of water

1 teaspoon of agar agar powder

Colours & flavour of choice

I used butterfly pea tea powder x1 teaspoon

Method:

Empty the water into a pan and add your butterfly pea tea powder.

You can use other powders to make different colours. Butterfly pea tea powder makes the water blue but as I was using unrefined sugar which has a yellow tinge I found this turned the water more of an aqua.
Sprinkle on the agar agar powder and stir to dissolve. Turn on the heat and start to simmer the agar agar then add your sugar stirring a few times to dissolve the sugar.

Heat until boiling and then simmer for five minutes. After this time transfer to a glass dish. I like to use a transparent dish as you can see more how the colour will turn out. You can also use individual silicone moulds.

To make a pattern:

Using the same pan without washing it out add a few tablespoons of water and a tiny about of butterfly pea tea powder (1/8th teaspoon) then add a few drops of lemon or yuzu juice (this will turn the colour to purple) add 1/8th teaspoon of agar agar and heat to combine.

Drop the liquid ontop of the liquid you had already poured into the glass dish and swirl the colour around. Finally adding some gold flakes.

You can experiment with different colours and add flavouring as desired.

Next:

Leave the dish to cool to room temperature then leave over night in the fridge to completely set. After this time you can cut into shapes.

Transfer the shapes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper then place another piece on top.

Put the baking sheet somewhere at room temperature for around one week allowing them to form a crystal-like crust. At this time turn them over and leave again for another week.

You will then have delightful candies that are crisp on the outside and are jelly inside. Store in an airtight container to be enjoyed as a treat They are good for at least a month. Serve with a green tea.

Kohakutou also makes a beautiful gift presented in a box or glass jar.